Straight bar knitting machines



p 1968 E START ETALP 3,400,560

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

P 1968 E. START ETAL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4. 1965 Sept. 10, 1968 E. START ETAL 3,400,560

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4. 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 v Sept. 10, 1968 START ETAL 3,400,560

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 EVEN movemems 0-" SCREW NUH IN ADJUSTABLE C/L MMH DRAW LEVER'IZ' 0:204:17.

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FROM DRAW CAM p 10, 1968 E. START ETAL 3,400,560

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 10, 1968 E. START ETAL 3,400,560

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 4, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent 3,400,560 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Ernest Start, Nottingham, and Keith T. Wilby, Leicester,

England, assignors to William Cotton Limited, Loughborough, England Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,035 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 5, 1964, 18,524/ 64 8 Claims. (Cl. 66--110) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A straight bar knitting machine suitable for uniform adjustments and the particularly narrow width knitting without duplication of the adjusting mechanism.

The knitting machine is provided with a variable draw mechanism in which a lever driven by a draw cam mechanism and having adjusting screw means controlled by a selvage stop mechanism is connected with a nonadjustable slurcock driving lever to provide for a constant lead of the thread carriers over slurcocks and narrow width knitting.

This inveniton is for improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines and concerns the variable draw mechanism of these machines.

Variable draw mechanism is known to employ a constant pitch screw incorporated in the draw lever, there being a screw nut on the screw and connected to the draw cam operating mechanism, and the screw being periodically adjusted from the selvage stop adjustments to progressively change the amplitude of movement of the draw lever and consequently of the slurcocks corresponding to the progressive changes in stopping positions of the thread carriers by adjustments of the slevage stops.

The adjustment of the selvage stops being uniform results in the adjustments of the constant pitch screw being also uniform and since these adjustments change the point along the draw lever at which movement is applied thereto from the constant throw draw cam, the movements imparted by the draw lever to the draw bar connected to the slurcocks progressively change. A disadvantage of this is that the lead of the thread carriers over the slurcocks consequently also progressively changes whereas it is desired for the lead to be constant.

Another desirable feature of draw mechanism is that it shall provide not only for uniform adjustment of the draw lever, draw bar and slurcocks, but also provide for particularly narrow width knitting.

In one prior proposal the draw mechanism has been suitable to provide for the uniform adjustments but it has not been suitable for particularly narow width knitting.

In another prior proposal the draw mechanism has been suitable for narrow-width knitting but not for uniform adjustments.

In our US. patent application, Ser. No. 759,902, now US. Patent 3,073,138, the construction is suitable for the uniform adjustments and also for the particularly narrow width knitting, but this requires two draw levers each having its own adjusting screw nut, the screw nuts being interconnected, and there being two variable motion transmitting devices one for each screw.

An object of the invention is to provide draw mechanism of such improved construction as to be suitable for uniform adjustments and the particularly narrow width knitting without duplication of adjusting mechanism.

The invention provides a straight bar knitting machine having variable draw mechanism in which, to provide for constant lead of thread carriers over slurcocks and 3,400,560 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 narrow width knitting, a lever driven by draw cam mechanism and having associated adjusting screw means under control of selvage stop mechanism is interconnected with a non-adjustable slurcock-driving draw lever by a slide and guide means therefor. Conveniently a screw nut of the adjusting screw means is engaged in one slot in the slide, and a slipper or the like on the slurcock-driving draw lever is engaged with a second slot in the slide. Conveniently also the slide is mounted on horizontal guide rods between the two levers, and it is formed with one vertical slot on one side for the screw nut and a second vertical slot on the other side for the slipper or the like.

The slurcock-driving draw lever is conveniently of a length longer than that of the adjustable lever to provide for wide 'fabric to 'be knitted. Conveniently also the slurcock-driving idraw lever is connected at its top end to the draw bar, and is pivoted at its bottom end, whereas the adjustable lever is pivoted at its top end Where its screw is connected to the selvedge stop mechanism, and its bottom end is connected by a link to draw cam operating lever and cam mechanism.

To provide for the adjustment of the adjusting screw, the slot for the screw nut is comparatively long in relation to the slot for the slipper or the like which is comparatively short.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of draw mechanism in a Cottons Patent straight bar knitting machine according to the invention.

FIGURE la is an enlarged view of the left hand part of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged end view .of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a diagram illustrating uniform adjustments of the draw mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic end view of the draw mechanism with which the movements in FIG- URE 3 correspond.

FIGURE 5 is a general view of a Cottons Patent straight bar knitting machine embodying the draw mechanism of FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 5 a Cottons Patent straight bar knitting machine is represented by the frame 1 on which is mounted the usual dra-w cam represented at 2 on a cam shaft 3, (FIGURE 1) this cam acting between spaced rollers 4, 5 carried by levers 6, 7 pivoted at 8, 9 to the machine frame and which are interconnected by a link 10.

The lever 6 has an extension 6a which is connected by a link 11 to the lower free end of an adjustable lever 12 which is mounted on an upper pivot 13 and incorporates an adjusting screw 14 which at its upper end is connected through bevel gearing 15 and a shaft 16 to the usual selvage stop adjusting mechanism SSM, FIGURE 5, by drive transmitting mechanism DTM connecting between the shaft 16 and the adjustable lead screw ALS of said mechanism. In addition there is a slurcock-driving draw lever 17 which is connected at its upper end to the usual draw bar DB for driving the slurcocks as at SL and is mounted on a bottom pivot 18 and which is considerably longer than the adjustable lever 12.

For interconnecting the two levers 12 and 17 there are upper and lower horizontal slide bars 19, 20 which are slidably mounted in guide brackets 21, 22 and to which is secured (FIGURE 1a) by screw means 23, 24, 25, 26 a slide 27.

This slide 27 (and the slide bars 19, 20) extend (FIG- ,URES 2 and 4) between the levers 12, 17 and in its rear face there is formed a comparatively long vertical slot 27a (FIGURE 1a) with which there engages a screw nut 14a (also FIGURES 2 and 4) on the adjustable screw 14.

In addition the slide 27 has a 'forwardly projecting block 27b (FIGURES 1, 1a and 2) in which there is formed a comparatively short vertical slot 270 in which there engages a slipper or the like 17a projecting rearwardly from the lever 17.

The slipper or the like 17a conveniently consists of a slipper block 17b (FIGURE 2) freely mounted on a stubspindle 170 provided by a projecting tail end of a bolt 17d which is screwed through the lever 17.

It will be understood that the draw cam lever 6 (FIG- URE 1) and the adjustable lever 12 have a movement imparted to them through the link 11 which has a constant amplitude of movement from the draw cam 2. When the screw nut 14a is at the lower end of the screw 14 the movement of the lever 12 will impart to the lever 17, through the screw nut 14a, an amplified draw movement suitable for wide fabric, and conversely when the screw nut 14a is at the top of the screw 14 only a very small draw movement will be imparted by the lever 12 through the screw nut 14a to the lever 17 suitable for particularly narrow width knitting.

These maximum and minimum. adjustments are illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 3 from which it will be seen that the full width of draw of lever 17 is indicated at X and the narrowest width of draw of lever 17 is indicated at Y.

This FIGURE 3 also illustrates that the uniform adjustments of the inclined adjusting screw 14, as indicated by parallel lines L, become resolved, because of the screw nut 14a riding along the screw 14 carrying the slide 27 sideways with it as it slides along the slot 27a into equal horizontal displacements of the slide 27, as indicated by parallel lines L1, and consequently into equal horizontal displacements of the main draw lever 17, indicated by parallel lines L2, it being appreciated that the adjusting movements of the draw lever 17 are pivotal and are allowed for in relation to the slide 17 by the slipper or the like 17a sliding along the slot 27a.

It will thus be seen that the draw mechanism employs only one adjusting screw mechanism and yet it is suitable to provide for uniform adjustments and for narrow width knitting in the manner required.

What we claim is:

1. A straight bar knitting machine having variable draw mechanism comprising a lever driven by draw cam mechanism, selvage stop mechanism, and adjusting screw means associated with said lever and being under control of the selvage stop mechanism, a nonadjustable slurcock-driving draw lever connected with said first mentioned lever, and means for interconnecting the levers.

2. A straight bar knitting machine having variable draw mechanism comprising a draw lever, a draw cam operably connected with said draw mechanism, selvage stop mechanism, adjusting screw means associated with said draw lever and being under control of the selvage stop mechanism, a nonadjustable slurcock-driving draw lever connected with said first mentioned draw lever, slide and guide means interconnecting said draw levers.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the interconnecting means comprises a slide and guide means, a screw nut of the adjusting screw means being engaged in one slot in the slide, and a slipper on the s-lurcock-driving draw lever being engaged with a second slot in the slide.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the interconnecting means comprises a slide and guide means, the slide being mounted on horizontal guide rods between the two levers, and the slide is formed with one vertical slot on one side for a screw nut of the adjusting screw means and a second vertical slot on the other side for a slipper on the slurcock-driving draw lever.

5. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the slurcock-driving draw lever is of a length longer than that of the first mentioned lever to provide for wide fabric to be knitted.

6. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the slurcock-driving draw lever is connected at its top end to a draw bar and is pivoted at its bottom end, whereas the first mentioned lever is pivoted at its top end where its associated screw means is connected to the selvage stop mechanism and its bottom end is connected by a link to the draw cam mechanism.

7. A machine according to claim 2 wherein, to provide for the adjustment of the adjusting screw means, the slot for the screw nut is comparatively long in relation to the slot for the slipper which is comparatively short.

8. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, a row of sinkers co-operating with the needles, thread carriers for feeding yarn to the needles and sinkers, slurcocks for advancing the sinkers, selvage stop mechanism for controlling the width of knitting, and variable draw mechanism comprising draw cam mechanism, a lever driven by the draw cam mechanism, adjusting screw means associated with said lever and being under control of the selvedge stop mechanism, a nonadjustable slurcockdriving draw lever, slide and guide means for interconnecting the two levers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,749,479 3/1930 Graebcr 66-110 2,195,350 3/1940 Worm 66-110 2,233,801 3/1941 Wickardt 66-110 2,270,131 1/1942 Leupold 66-110 2,271,381 1/1942 Wilders et 'al 66-110 2,787,898 4/1957 Flamig et al 66-126 2,872,798 2/1959 Matthews 66-110 3,073,138 1/1963 Blood 66-110 FOREIGN PATENTS 789,614 1/1958 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

